Joy Oladokun has the kind of voice that pulls you closer, making even the most grandiose sentiment feel personal. It's a vibe she embraces throughout her uplifting fourth full-length album, 2023's Proof of Life. As a Black queer woman raised in Arizona by Christian Nigerian immigrant parents, Oladokun has a lot to write about. There's a wry sense of irony to her worldview, one she illuminates on the twangy, country-infused "The Hard Way," singing "Jesus raised me/Good weed saved me." A former worship leader, Oladokun's sound fits nicely into the acoustic folk tradition that she initially championed on 2016's Carry. That said, she has matured and embraced a mixture of indie rock and alternative singer/songwriter influences. On Proof of Life, she continues to expand this approach, working with a small cadre of pop-savvy producers, including Mike Elizondo, Ian Fitchuk, Dan Wilson, and Alysa Vanderheym. Together, they've crafted an album that draws upon a mix of classic and contemporary sounds. There's also a handful of guest artists here -- including Mt. Joy, Chris Stapelton, and the Manchester Orchestra -- whose stylistic variety speaks to the eclectic influences at play in Oladokun's work. Cuts like "Changes," "Taking Things for Granted," and "Purple Haze" (a bold reference to Jimi Hendrix that purposefully sounds nothing like his song) are lyrical anthems that marry confessional lyrics with big, effusive pop melodies in the tradition of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tracy Chapman. Elsewhere, as on the breezy, groove-oriented "Friends," her music achieves an almost perfect amalgam of the old and new, combining the emo- and hip-hop-informed style of artists like Blackbear and Mike Posner with the singer/songwriter folk of Joni Mitchell. There's also an underlying introspection and angst to Oladokun's work on Proof of Life that feels particularly millennial, like she's just trying to be a good person in a world that feels increasingly hostile. On "Somebody Like Me," she sings "Can somebody say a prayer?/Can somebody light a candle, for a person like me?/It's the least that God could do." While she never shies away from explicitly dealing with tough issues on Proof of Life, her writing is always relatable and curative, like a friend bringing you in with a smile and a hand on your back. ~ Matt Collar